How to Instill in a Child a Love of Sports and How This Will Help Him in Life
When to take your child to training for the first time, how to choose the right sports section and why physical activity will help improve school performance, said the coach of the European Gymnastics Center Anastasia Bogdanova
Physical activity is just as necessary for people as good nutrition and sleep. From birth, human development is associated with movement. It helps to improve sensory perception, to know your body, to learn the skills of large and fine motor skills, to form immunity. Thanks to physical activity, the child actively learns the world around him, develops intellectually and psychologically.
The importance of physical development began to speak in the era of humanism (XIV-XVI century). All humanists noted the need to maintain a balance between learning and leisure. For example, the writer and scientist Leon Alberti believed that it was necessary to introduce a child to sports from an early age, guided by his inclinations. As an example, he cited the good physical development of children who live in the countryside. The Italian humanist Pietro Vergerio also pointed to the importance of physical activity. He suggested training endurance from childhood through ball games, hunting, fishing, singing, and music.
In the middle of the 20th century, the famous American physiotherapist Glenn Doman introduced the concept of motor intelligence. His idea was that the sooner a child begins to crawl, walk and, finally, play sports, the faster his brain will develop.
When should a child start exercising?
The most favorable period for the accumulation of various skills is from the first year of life to six years. There is a scientific explanation for this: in the brain of a three-year-old child, there are three times more connections between neurons (synapses) than in an adult. If the neurons are stimulated, then the connections will be strengthened, otherwise they will die. Synapses are most actively formed before the age of five or six years. Playing sports is a good way to support a child’s all-round development, including their cognitive skills.
Doctors prescribe the first physical exercises for a child from two months. Charging and massage help him learn to feel his body, make movements conscious. As the child grows older and learns new skills, the activity of the child increases. By the age of one, many children are already beginning to walk well, and from this age it is possible, for example, to attend classes in developing gymnastics or swimming under the supervision of a coach and parents.
At gymnastics, children are engaged in soft gymnastic modules, learn to overcome obstacles, climb the Swedish wall, hang on the crossbar, rings, uneven bars, and walk on a log. These exercises help strengthen muscles, develop balance and coordination. But exercise isn’t just for the body.
During group lessons, the child is socialized. He communicates with other children, repeats after them, learns to work in a team and observe discipline. The need to perform a variety of exercises and combinations of them helps to develop thinking. And the ability to make elements that are not available to all peers gives the child self-confidence.
Which sport to choose for a child
As a rule, enrollment in sports sections begins at the age of four or five. When choosing an occupation, it is necessary to take into account the special features of the characters, physical data, and the interests of the child. For example, team games are suitable for sociable, open and mobile children. But the opposite is also true. For a shy child, classes in this section will help develop communication skills. There is no single recommendation for everyone.
Cyclic sports such as running, swimming or cross-country skiing are aimed at training endurance, strengthening leg muscles. However, they do not have a variety of interesting movements, so some children may find them difficult. Skiing or snowboarding are also popular winter hobbies.
Figure skating, dancing and rhythmic gymnastics are very demanding on the physical data and character of children. First of all, the child’s penchant for artistry and plasticity, as well as innate flexibility and a slender figure, are necessary. Gymnastics is suitable for active children who like to run, jump, somersault, climb stairs. In a developing format, anyone can engage in them. And for professional training, selection is already underway: the child must be short, slender, strong and flexible enough.
To choose the right sport, introduce your child to different activities. Show him a video from the competition, bring him to a trial lesson, get recommendations from the coaches. Also pay attention to the impressions of the child and your own emotions. The most important thing is that physical activity brings pleasure to the child, then they will become a habit.
It is equally important to observe the regularity of classes. So children will not wean from physical activity and will continue to accumulate training experience. It is optimal to go to the section two to three times a week.
What should be the physical activity for children of different ages
At the age of one to three years, it is optimal to go to sports classes twice a week. So the child will begin to get used to training, remember exercises, and develop discipline.
At three to five years old, it is advisable to go to regular classes two to three times a week. In accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization, high-intensity training for children from five years old should last 60 minutes, three times a week. In general, the child should be active (jumping, running, walking) for at least an hour a day. More is welcome. You can combine different sports. The main thing is that the child has at least one day off.
When choosing the intensity and regularity of sports activities, it is important to monitor the well-being of the child and not overload him. If you notice that your son or daughter began to get sick often, get tired quickly, seem lethargic, perhaps the frequency of training should be reduced. Gradually, their fitness and endurance will improve, and you can try to increase the load.
It is especially important to pay attention to the physical activity of schoolchildren. With the beginning of training, the mental load in the child’s life significantly replaces the physical one. This negatively affects the health of children. In particular, it can lead to posture disorders and flat feet, increase the risk of obesity and the body’s vulnerability to viral infections. Regular exercise will help to avoid such consequences. In addition, thanks to them, the academic performance of students will increase.
Studies show that children who lead an active lifestyle can concentrate longer in class and better control their emotions. It is also easier for them to plan things than their peers who do not attend sports sections. They also have more working memory. In it, the brain holds all the information it needs to make a decision. Finally, like adults, sports help children cope with stress and anxiety. And there are a lot of them in school life.